5 OCEANS SET TO CONTINUE RICH HERITAGE WITH 2014 RACE [05/06/2011]

Ninth edition of The Ultimate Solo Challenge announced at prizegiving celebrations in La Rochelle

THE rich heritage of the 5 OCEANS, the original solo round the world yacht race, is set to continue after it was announced the next edition of the race will start in autumn 2014.

Round the world yachting legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man ever to sail solo around the world non-stop, revealed plans for the 2014 event at the prizegiving ceremony for the VELUX 5 OCEANS 2010-11, which earlier this week reached a thrilling climax in La Rochelle, France, with Brad Van Liew claiming the title, the first time an American skipper has taken the historical Class I crown.

Sir Robin, who has been linked to the 5 OCEANS since it started life as the BOC Challenge in 1982, said the ninth edition of the race in 2014 would piggyback on the success of the current edition, which saw the effective introduction of the Eco 60 Class and some incredibly tight racing between the five competing skippers from five different nations...

DEREK HATFIELD TAKES FINAL PODIUM PLACE [29/05/2011]

Canadian skipper’s arrival completes 2010/11 edition of round the world race

DEREK Hatfield today proved why he is Canada’s top solo sailor as he took the final podium position in the VELUX 5 OCEANS solo round the world yacht race. The 58-year-old sailed his Eco 60 Active House across the finish line of the fifth and final ocean sprint of the 30,000-mile race at 0907 local time (0707 UTC), bringing to an end a 14-day passage across the North Atlantic from Charleston.

Derek finished fourth in the final sprint, beating race rival Chris Stanmore-Major into third place overall by just three points. Derek’s arrival into La Rochelle brings to an end the 2010/11 VELUX 5 OCEANS which saw four of the five starting skippers complete the gruelling solo circumnavigation...

OCEAN racer Zbigniew ‘Gutek’ Gutkowski today became the first Pole to race singlehanded around the world after completing the VELUX 5 OCEANS solo round the world yacht race. Gutek raced his Eco 60 Operon Racing across the finish line of the fifth and final sprint of the 30,000-mile race at 1507 local time (1307 UTC) bringing to a close what was an epic first singlehanded circumnavigation for the Pole.

Gutek took third place in ocean sprint five from Charleston to La Rochelle, arriving just four hours behind second placed Chris Stanmore-Major. Gutek’s result secures him second place overall after accumulating enough points to beat closest rival Derek Hatfield...

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CSM SAILS INTO HISTORY BOOKS AS HE COMPLETES VELUX 5 OCEANS [28/05/2011]

CHRIS STANMORE-MAJOR SAILS INTO HISTORY BOOKS AS HE COMPLETES VELUX 5 OCEANS

British ocean racer takes second place in fifth ocean sprint – and fourth place overall

BRTISH solo sailor Chris Stanmore-Major today secured his place in the history books becoming only the 182nd person ever to sail solo around the world as he crossed the finish line of the VELUX 5 OCEANS round the world yacht race.

The 33-year-old, known by his nickname CSM, is the first British sailor to be added to the list of global solo circumnavigators since Steve White completed the Vendée Globe back in 2009. It is a huge achievement for the Cowes-based yachtsman who started the 30,000-mile VELUX 5 OCEANS, his first foray into solo sailing, less than two months after skippering a crewed boat around the world.

“I’m now the 182nd person ever to sail solo around the world which is pretty wild,” an emotional CSM said just moments after crossing the finish line ending a 13-day, 3,831-mile passage from Charleston, during which he sailed at an average of 11.75 knots...

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VICTORY FOR BRAD VAN LIEW [28/05/2011]

American enters record books with second clean sweep of round the world race

HE’S DONE IT!

American ocean racer Brad Van Liew today sailed over the finish line of the VELUX 5 OCEANS and into the record books, winning every leg of the 30,000-mile challenge for the second time in his solo sailing career.

Not only is the 43-year-old now the only sailor in the 29-year history of the VELUX 5 OCEANS to have taken clean sweeps in two races (having also won each leg of the 2002/3 edition in class two) but he is also the first American to race solo around the world three times.

By completing his historic third circumnavigation Brad has surpassed the previous record set by his mentor Mike Plant. Having taken part in the 1986 edition of the race, then known as the BOC Challenge, and then the inaugural Vendee Globe in 1989, Plant was lost at sea en route to his third round the world race in 1992.